Men charged with robbing woman at gunpoint in downtown Worcester

Friday

Jul 25, 2014 at 2:46 PMJul 25, 2014 at 3:10 PM

TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — Two men have been arrested and charged with biking up to a woman and robbing her at gunpoint downtown Monday morning, police said. Two other men tied to the robbery suspects also were arrested.

Jonathan Lugo, 18, of 11 Laurel St., Apt. 15, was charged Wednesday with armed robbery, assault by means of dangerous weapon and misleading a police investigation. He was arraigned Thursday before Judge Robert Harbour and held on $25,000 cash bail. His case was continued to Aug. 8.

The second suspect in the robbery, Laquan Walley, 23, of 43 Paine St., was arrested Thursday as he walked along Prospect Street. He was charged with armed robbery, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and misleading a police investigation.

The robbery occurred just after 11 a.m. Monday. A woman had just parked her car on Commercial Street when, she told police, two men on bicycles approached. She told police one of the men got off his bike, walked toward her and demanded her pocketbook. When she hesitated, he drew a handgun, police said. Both men fled.

The investigation led police to the Plumley Village area, where they found two bicycles outside 11 Laurel St. that matched the descriptions of those used in the robbery. Police conducted interviews and obtained search warrants for Apt. 15 and Apt. 26 at 11 11 Laurel St. and arrest warrants for the two men on Wednesday.

During the search of 11 Laurel St. Apt 15 on Wednesday, police arrested Wilfredo Figuero, 31, of that address. He was charged with two counts of improper storage of a firearm and three counts of possession of ammunition and firearms without an FID card. He was held on $2,000 cash bail. Judge Harbour continued the case to Aug. 15.

During a search of Apt. 26, police investigators found property that belonged to the robbery victim.

As a result, Markel Bryan, 18, of that address, was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property, accessory after the fact and misleading a police investigation.

Mr. Lugo and Mr. Figueroa were arraigned Thursday in Central District Court, while Mr. Bryan and Mr. Walley are to be arraigned Friday.

Police said they also got information linking Mr. Walley to an unrelated armed robbery of a Honey Farms Market at 82 Thomas St. That robbery occurred on July 2. Mr. Walley faces charges in that case of armed robbery and assault by means of a dangerous weapon.